


The Times They Are A Changin'

by TipsyArmadillo



Category: Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Dom/sub, M/M, Physical Abuse, Rape/Non-con Elements, Violence, unwanted physical contact
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-22
Updated: 2013-01-22
Packaged: 2017-11-26 10:28:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/649584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TipsyArmadillo/pseuds/TipsyArmadillo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve means well but he's a man from the past and while the world has marched on, Captain America has stayed the same.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Times They Are A Changin'

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to my amazingly, stupendously awesome beta Nico who was dangerously close to assassinating me over apostrophes.

Times had changed, that much was certain.

"Clint," shouted Tony for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Tony!" Clint yelled back.

"Very funny! You want to know what's even funnier? The expression on your face when I shove that bow right up your-"

"That's its place, Stark," Clint explained for the millionth time, gesturing to his bow laying innocently on the table. "It's where I put it so if I need it I know where it is."

They were in each other's faces, looking as though they were about to break out in another round of shoving. Clint's scent was nearly overpowering and Steve couldn't understand why Tony, the resident and lone Omega, wasn't behaving himself when everything about Clint, from his body language to his tone said he was ready to fight.

Steve looked around at the others, distressed to find them all watching the fight with the same sort of dull eyed fascination they got when watching those movies Barton called 'so bad they were good'. He couldn't understand them. They should say or do something. It was inappropriate. It was wrong. He wanted to say something but it was obvious from the reactions of everyone around him that they didn't feel the same outrage he did.

If anything, they seemed amused by it.

"Damn it, Stark, my bow isn't in your way."

"But it could be! What if I need to use that spot for my toast in the morning?"

"That's not even a reason!"

"I don't need a reason to not want your bow on my table _\- where I eat_. Do you even know where that thing has been?"

"Budapest," Natasha chimed in.

"Not helping," Clint said, still maintaining direct eye contact with Tony as though he could will the other man to submit with his mind.

"See? _Budapest_ ," Tony exclaimed as if that solved everything, using the word Budapest as one might use a curse word. "I don't need Budapestian diseases on my tabletop."

"That's not even a thing," Clint practically wailed.

"But. It. Could. Be!" Tony enunciated each word. "And I don't know about you but I've seen the messes your bow gets into. I'm sure Budapest is the least of our worries. With all the crazy ass shit we've been fighting lately I'm surprised your bow isn't considered a weapon of mass biological terror."

"Aye, the slug creature was most foul," Thor mused.

There was a moment of silence as everyone remembered the slug incident. A collective shudder went through them. The slime. Dear god the slime had been horrible. Months later they were still finding slime in the strangest places.

Clint turned faintly green. "You know what. Maybe I'll just find another spot for my bow. You know, after the slug and everything-"

The team gave a collective mumble of agreement.

"Just for the sake of safety I think I'm going to just disinfect, you know, everything," Bruce said from the doorway.

"Good. Banner's in charge of disinfecting ... again," Tony said. "And I think it's a good idea for everyone to remember that weapons on the table tops and countertops is a health hazard and I don't know about all of you, but I don't want the next time I forget to use a plate and put a pizza slice on the table to be a one way trip to the emergency room. So new rule. All weapons and/or weapons accessories are to be kept out of the kitchen. And yes, Thor, that includes the hammer."

Thor responded with a frown and Steve watched in trepidation as Thor brandished his hammer in front of Tony's face, so close Tony nearly went cross-eyed looking at it.

"You do Mjolnir a great disservice! Examine her."  He thrust the hammer closer and Tony had to lean back in order to avoid a broken nose. "Such a mighty weapon could never be anything less than clean, if not covered in the blood of my foes , that is. It would be a poor subject for tales to be sung of if my weapon was dirty. You see? You see how she shines in the sun, Man of Iron? This is a weapon of legend, not a common bow that may be sullied by the slime of a slug."

"Hey," Clint protested. "You talking about my bow?"

Thor nodded serenely. "Do not take offense. Not every weapon can be as Mjolnir. Perhaps one day you will find a weapon worthy of your great deeds and name it such that it will be known from one corner of your world to the next."

Clint gave Thor a stare that went on for longer than anybody was comfortable with and his scent, which  had been slowly fading from the room came back full force. "Nobody talks shit about the bow."

"Whoa," Tony yelled, jumping in between the two as Clint and Thor both lifted their weapons, the scent of challenging Alphas was enough to get Steve's heart racing.

It was with an expression of mounting horror that he watched Tony Stark talk the two Alphas down, both of whom were shedding testosterone like an old snake skin and itching for a fight. Steve wanted to protest the behaviour of the two men as they allowed themselves to be scolded and talked down to by an Omega. It wasn't right. Tony should be on his knees, head bent low to the ground, neck bared. In the face of two battle ready Alphas how could an Omega do anything less?

Instead both Thor and Clint lowered their weapons, allowing Tony to rant and rave about potential property damaged and 'damn Alphas stinking up the place, JARVIS I'm going to need this room quarantined and sprayed down'.

Even the AI deferred to Tony rather than the Alphas.

Steve felt a strange sense of helplessness as he watched the scene unfold. How could this be happening? It simply wasn't done.

Omegas didn't act like that, they didn't order people around and make demands and they certainly didn't scold Alphas as though they were children.

It was such a fundamental pillar of society, everyone had their role and they worked within that. Steve was an Alpha, he had known he would be since the day he was born. It was what instilled in him such a sense of responsibility. He was an Alpha and it was his role to be a protector and leader, just as it was an Omegas role to be protected and submit to the leadership of an Alpha.

He knew things had changed since the 40s but to be confronted with this? Surely it couldn't be normal. Society couldn't have changed so much since his time that roles had been completely reversed.

Steve's fists clenched tight on his knees as he watched Tony handing out orders and clearly expecting them to be obeyed and watching every single Alpha in the room indulge him.

He was positive this was because of who the Omega in question was. Tony was a pampered, spoiled thing, born into almost unfathomable wealth and luxury and clearly used to being catered to. Maybe everyone was just accepting it because Tony had money or because he was supplying the Avengers with their headquarters.

He was sure that was it.

Regardless of the reason. Tony's behaviour was unacceptable and Steve resolved to bring the matter up. The others might be too intimidated by Tony's money but Steve wasn't about to allow Tony to humiliate the rest of the team like that. They were Alphas and they deserved respect.

He came out of his thoughts only to find that the fight was long over and everyone was now enthusiastically voting on dinner, the loudest voter naturally being Tony who seemed to think shawarma was the only reasonable choice.

Steve frowned.

He would definitely be having a talk with Tony later.

 

*

 

His opportunity came two days later. It was the sort of night where everybody was doing their own thing. Bruce was in the labs, Natasha was in the firing range with Clint, and Thor was attempting to figure out how to work the entertainment system to 'view the large screen that plays an assortment of great adventures from your worlds history'. Steve had quickly left, he was as lost as Thor was when it came to this new technology and he wasn't in a hurry to break anything trying to figure it out. Tony would have their heads.

It was that reminder than spurred him to seek out Tony.

The inventor was, as always, holed up in his usual room, the love child of a laboratory and an auto mechanics garage.

Tony was visible through the glass door, hunched over something with a strange pair of glasses attached to his head that Steve was mostly sure was used for magnification.

He opened the door, somewhat surprised to find it unlocked and made his way to Tony's workbench.

The inventor was so focused that Steve had to clear his throat twice before he looked up.

"Hey Cap," Tony said distractedly, turning back to his work. "Kinda in the middle of something."

"This is important," Steve assured him, feeling a bit irritated that he needed to do so in the first place. Tony gave a dismissive 'uh huh' and Steve could feel his irritation growing. He took a deep breath, reminding himself that he was dealing with Tony and not a normal Omega.  He wouldn't let Tonys obscene behaviour get to him. Tony probably didn't even know what he was doing was inappropriate by normal Omega standards and Steve had to wonder how Howard could have let this happen.

"Tony, it's about your recent behaviour."

"That thing with the Swedish masseuse was legal.  Totally weird, yes, but also completely legal which is the important thing."

Steve rubbed how brow. He had been trying to forget the Swedish masseuse. "It's not that."

Tony sighed. "Reeeeeally not a good time, Cap. This is delicate work. How about I book us some time next week?  We can get everyone together and have a great big 'what's Tony done this time' party."

Steve frown deeply and put his hand on Tony's shoulder, spinning him around with a yelp from the other man who scrambled to save his project, clutching the bundle of wires and metal to his chest. Once he was turned Tony reached around, delicately set down his bundle and tore off his magnifying glasses with a loud 'what the hell, Cap'.

"You could have ruined everything. How did you even get in here," he demanded.

"This is what I'm talking about, Tony," Steve said in as calm a voice as he could manage under the circumstances. "This behaviour of yours. It has to stop. I'm tired of you acting like this and so is everyone else."

Tony's eyes narrowed dangerously, a look that didn't suit the smaller man. "Acting like what exactly? Like a guy who's trying to build a more efficient core for his arc reactor before some nutjob broke into his lab and started trying to play 'you've been a naughty boy' with him?"

Steve blushed at the innuendo and the mental image that resulted, growing furious at himself for letting an Omega  embarrass him like that. In some way he was mortified for Tony. It was a good thing he was confronting Tony and not a lesser Alpha who might have read too much into the innuendo and tried to ... well, do something.

"Stark, I don't know how else to say this but your attitude isn't a good one. Frankly, it's downright unacceptable. Now I know things have changed a lot since my time but I have to say I'm worried about the way you've been conducting yourself around everyone. What if you set one of them off? What if one of them decides to take it too far? Who's going to be there to protect you," he asked reasonably.

Tony looked at him dumbfounded and perhaps a little humbled, Steve thought.

"Cap, come on. I know you're worried. We've got a lot of powerful guys here, I know that. Hell, without my suit everyone in this building could kick my ass." Steve nodded, relieved that Tony understood what he was saying. As the lone Omega around a team of Alphas Tony was vulnerable and his attitude could cause the others to act out, maybe even hurt him. "Sometimes I forget I'm the odd guy out here, can't really fight, don't have super powers. Even 'Tash and Barton are kind of badass. I'm just the brains ... and the guy with the awesome suit but not all the time, y'know."

Steve was a little confused by Tony's statement but he seemed to be understanding his place without a fight so Steve wasn't about to go questioning his phrasing.

"Maybe you have a point," Tony conceded. "But I'm not going to pussy out when it comes to dinner suggestions. If everyone else had it their way we'd be knee deep in curry and coconut milk. Weirdoes. Nothing wrong with a good old fashioned pizza, am I right, Cap?"

Steve beamed. "Not at all.  I'm glad we had this conversation."

Tony gave a big smile and a thumbs up that didn't seem entirely sincere but Steve was willing to let it pass. "Super. Great. This core is kinda time sensitive though so, yeah. I guess you can see yourself out."

Tony turned back to his work, putting on the magnifying glasses and promptly ignoring Steve.

It was disrespectful but not confrontational. That seemed to be progress. Rome wasn't built in a day, so they said, Steve was just glad Tony had accepted his criticism and didn't do anything that would make Steve have to pull rank on him. He had never enjoyed seeing Omegas forcibly submitted; he'd only seen  it a few times in his life and while it was unpleasant, it was the only thing that had made the unruly Omegas accept an Alphas authority. He would have hated to put Tony through that.

Luckily the inventor seemed to be receptive to correction.

Overall Steve though their talk was a success.

*

 

 

Three nights later Steve walked into a disaster.  He blamed it on Fury. Being the unofficial leader of the Avengers meant Steve was often kept later for briefings than his teammates, or even called into solo conference calls if Fury felt there was information that could be relayed through Steve rather than bothering to corral the entire team, which usually ended in minor catastrophe.

That night Steve was kept two hours late in a conference with Fury who was interested in why the Avengers were not killing each other in new and inventive ways lately. That is to say the team was getting along and Fury wanted to know how. Apparently the Avengers getting along and playing nice was so astonishing Fury needed to know in great detail how Steve had accomplished such a thing.

Truthfully Steve hadn't done anything. If anything it had been Tony who, despite his abrasive and unconventional personality, was the glue that held the team together; mostly through the use of alcohol.

Of course telling Fury that the secret to their team building success was getting blackout drunk and sharing in the mutual camaraderie that comes along with morning after regrets wasn't going to work. So Steve spent two hours very selectively bullshitting his way through an explanation that involved words like 'synergy' and 'mutual respect'.

Fury didn't seem to be buying his story but after a long, drawn out, unofficial interrogation Fury gave up trying to get more than a blatantly vague response from Steve.

"Fine, whatever you're doing just keep it up. I'm not going to question your methods if it keeps the team out of the news and alive."

"Thank you, Sir."

Fury nodded. "You've done a good job with these guys, Rogers."

"Honestly, Sir, I couldn't have asked for a better team. They're ... not what I'm used to, that's for sure, but they're all good people and dedicated soldiers." Steve answered truthfully.

"I won't disagree with you there, Rogers. Next briefing is scheduled for the same time, five days from now."

"Yes, Sir. Rogers out."

It was only when he left the conference room that he heard the music, loud rhythmic beats vibrating the floor.

Immediately he was wary. Loud music typically was followed by alcohol and alcohol was typically followed by bad decision making. As much as it had become a team building tradition, Steve was beginning to realize they needed to rethink their idea of team building and what constituted safe alcohol consumption.

He all but ran down to where the music was loudest and found himself in the middle of chaos.

The kitchen.

Everything was covered in flour and empty beer bottles. It looked like someone had been trying to bake something but from the smoking, charred remains sitting in the open oven Steve could guess how that attempt had gone. The team didn't seem overly concerned about the possible fire hazard and the dusty white figures of the Avengers were all engaged in what could only be described as jousting.

Tony was on Thor's back and Natasha on Bruce's while Clint seemed to be acting as some sort of commentator and judge.

"Hark ye steed! Avast!" Tony bellowed, swinging a broom handle over his head as Thor reared up and gave his best horse impression.

"For Queen and Country!" Natasha returned in a terrible British accent, wielding a pool cue.

Bruce and Thor charged, which in reality was a stumbling drunken shuffle on hands and knees while their riders battle cries almost overpowered the music still shaking the floor.

"Chaaaaaaaaaarge!" Clint shouted a moment too late, taking a long draw from what looked like a joint and then proceeding to nearly shake himself off his feet coughing.

The two riders met in furious combat, pool cue and broomsticks flailing as their mounts butted heads and Steve just watched in horror as the two non-powered Avengers pummelled each other with a ferocity that didn't look entirely like play fun to him. It got even worse when Thor decided he was done being a horse and reared up with a mighty roar, taking Tony along for the ride. Natasha, Bruce and Clint then joined forces to take down Thor with Tony still on his back, cackling madly and swinging at anything he could hit.

"For Asgard and Glory!" Thor yelled suddenly, grabbing Tony from off his back in a move Steve was sure would have dislocated a normal mans shoulders and threw the Omega at the three Alphas as though he was a doll.

That was when Steve had had enough.

He marched over to the stereo and turned the music off.

The others didn't seem to notice and the lack of music only seemed to emphasise how wrong the whole situation was, especially when Tony seemed to take offense at being tossed around and threw the broomstick at Thor which was immediately caught, broken over a knee and thrown aside right before Thor lunged at Tony and tackled him to the floor, at which point the pile of bodies began to look, to Steve's eyes, like nothing short of an orgy. The scent of a multitude of powerful Alphas running high on adrenaline was so overpowering that Steve nearly had to take a step back. And underneath the powerful scent, another, so subtle it might have been missed. The scent of a ripe Omega, sweet and inviting. It was a wonder how Tony wasn't already stripped and on his back.

He had seen this before. Disgraced Omegas entertaining the Alphas in the army. He wasn't about to let a member of his own team do this to himself, to debase himself in such a way. Tony was clearly out of control and needed to be reined in.

"ENOUGH," he yelled, marching over to the pile and digging out Tony by the collar of his shirt. He ignored the inventors protests and the collective 'awwwws' of the rest. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Now sober up and get this mess cleaned up; I need to have a word with Tony."

The Alphas looked at him in drunken confusion.

"Friend," Thor slurred, "if you want Stark for battle you only had to ask. Alas he was a better rider than a mount. But I have seen the likes of Slepnir in battle and as attractive a mount as our Stark was he was lacking in number of legs. No disrespect, of course."

"Who're you calling lacking in legs," Tony slurred back, looking ready to jump back into the pile and fight for his honor.

Steve reined him back with a sharp tug on his collar. Tony fell back with a loud gagging sound.

"Hey, that's not nice," Clint mumbled.

"Sober up and get this place clean. Tony, come on."

He didn't wait for a response, dragging Tony along with a firm hand on the man's shirt. Tony tried to make a break for it but Steve swiftly put a stop to that with a hand on the back of Tony's neck, pressing just hard enough that Tony gave a small groan of pain and followed without protest.

Steve marched the intoxicated inventor to his own room, needing a place where he felt both comfortable and in control for what he was about to do.

"The fuck, Cap," Tony wailed in a way Steve was sure his sober self would find embarrassing. "Leggo of me! I'm not even kidding."

Tony pulled a move made famous by little kids everywhere and went boneless. Steve lost his grip and Tony fell to the floor with a startled 'oof', rolling over onto his back and blinking owlishly up at the other man.

Then he began to giggle.

" I can't believe you fell for that."

Steve grit his teeth and hauled Tony to his feet which was easier said than done as the sudden movement made Tony's already uncertain sense of balance practically non-existent and he clung to Steve like a limpet, still giggling weakly.

He dragged Tony the rest of the way into his room and closed the door.

"Kinky, Cap. Reeeeeeeeally kinky. Very caveman of you. Y'could have just asked." The scent of Tony's sudden interest filled the room, a scent that Steve would normally find pleasing but now only found to be a desperate, sad attempt by an out of control Omega to gain control over him.

"That's enough of that," Steve declared, pushing Tony off him none too gently. Tony staggered back but managed to keep on his feet, swaying slightly and looking like he considered this to be all one big game. "Tony, you're an Omega."

"Well no shit, Cap. Pretty sure that's public knowledge."

Steve closed his eyes and took a deep steady breath, immediately regretting it when Tony's scent filled his nostrils like a sirens call. "I don't know what you're playing at Tony, but I intend to put a stop to it. For your sake as much as ours. Your behaviour is self destructive and, frankly, unacceptable."

Tony blinked at him, that half grin still on his face. He wasn't taking Steve seriously.

"I don't like to be blunt like this but I can't seem to get through to you. You're acting like a prostitute, Tony."

The grin immediately fell from Tonys face, replaced by fury. "The hell did you say to me?"

"You're an Omega, Tony. Everyone else in this building is an Alpha. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Don't you know what everyone is thinking about your behaviour? I've seen Omegas like you before when I was in the army. I know what your act is and I don't understand why you would do that to yourself. You're a perfectly smart man with so much going for you. Why do you act this way?"

"Cap, get the hell out of my way," Tony snarled, moving to leave the room.

Steve stopped the other man easily, holding him in place. "No. You will listen to me. You need to stop playing these games. We're a team and on a team everyone is expected to conform to a certain extent. I know you've lived all your life with no rules and no boundaries but I'm your team leader and I'm your Alpha and you will listen to me. You need to stop this behaviour and start acting like a proper Omega. I don't want to see you rolling around with the others like those Omegas from the Army used to and I don't want you ordering the rest of the team around. If you need something done you'll come to me and I'll resolve it for you.  I understand you've been without an Alpha for so long, it might be hard for you but you don't need to act like this anymore. I'm here so you can start acting like a proper Omega."

He tried to keep his voice as reassuring yet assertive as possible but Tony only seemed to grow more and more agitated as he spoke. He didn't understand. In his day an Omega would be gracious and accepting, they would have deferred to his judgements and submitted.

Tony seemed to have the opposite reaction.

"Who the fuck do you think you're talking to, Rogers? This isn't the goddamn 40s and I'm not your Omega. I don't answer to you," he practically snarled.

Steve was taken aback. He had never in his life been spoken to like that by an Omega. An unexpected jolt of arousal shot through his belly.

No, he wouldn't allow Tony to do this.

"Tony, what would your father think of what you've turned into?"

That was the wrong thing to say. "Fuck you, Rogers. I didn't answer to my father and I'm sure as hell not answering to you. I want you out of my tower."

"You signed this tower over to the Avengers Initiative."

"Bring it up with Fury at the next meeting. Now get out."

Steve stepped closer until he and Tony were almost touching and put as much force as he could into his words. "You will submit."

"Get out!"

"Tony, I'm warning you. Back down," Steve said, feeling his own scent flooding the room and Tony, for all his bravado, wasn't immune to the full force of an Alpha.  The smaller man shook his head, trying to clear it of the scent and the alcohol.

"Damn it, Rogers. Get out!"

It happened almost without his realizing. He had a moment to take in Tony's expression, a dumb sort of confusion as to why Steve was raising his hand a moment before it came down on Tony's cheek.

The sound was startlingly loud in the otherwise quiet room and Tony dropped with a thud.

Steve froze for a moment, taking in what had just happened.

He had just struck an Omega.

He had never raised his hand in violence to an Omega before and he felt sick to his stomach but he knew it couldn't be helped despite his personal feelings on the matter. He wanted to take Tony in his arms and comfort him, assure him it would never happen again but he knew if he showed Tony weakness he would never have the Omegas respect.

Steve drew courage from the knowledge that he was doing the right thing and though Tony might rebel now he would thank him later.

Tony was on the floor, reeling from the force of the blow still and Steve dropped to his knees, putting his hands on Tony.

"You will submit, Tony."

The other man sneered at him, hand on his cheek and clearly in no position to argue. He had spirit, Steve would give him that. He knew what he had to do next. Forced submission was always a last resort but the medical texts said it had a very high success rate in discouraging disobedient and out of control Omegas away from self destructive behaviour.

Steve began removing his clothing. Tony's eyes widened and he began pushing at the ground with his feet, unable to move or speak with any real success. Steve could make out noises of protest but the blow had dazed the man too much and he was still too drunk. Tony wasn't about to go anywhere. He made quick work of his clothing, dismayed to find himself half hard. He didn't want Tony to think he was going to take advantage of him but from the expression in the man's eyes he could tell that was exactly what he was thinking. Steve wanted to reassure him but from what he remembered of all the guides on how to tame an Omega they stressed not showing weakness because an Omega wouldn't respect an Alpha who was weak. Even if they struggled or cried it was all a test. Omegas secretly craved an Alphas dominance.

He knew that, everybody knew that but it was hard. Tony looked so helpless and frightened. It didn't feel right.

Steve's stomach rolled but he stayed firm to his decision.

He began removing Tony's clothing.

The smaller man began thrashing, trying to hit Steve and though he succeeded his strength even when not drunk and dazed wasn't enough to harm Steve. Nothing Tony could do would stop this from happening.

"Let this happen, Tony. Just submit and it will all be over."

If anything that renewed Tonys struggles and Steve was on the receiving end of some impressive kicks.

He grabbed Tonys ankles and pinned them down. In response Tony leaned forward and tried to punch Steve who promptly flipped him over and raised his hips in the air. Tony tried to lower them and when it became clear that no amount of manoeuvring would make Tony hold the submission pose, Steve put his hands on Tonys hips and began to squeeze, feeling the delicate bones give slightly. Tony let out a hoarse cry of pain.

"Hold the pose, Tony, or I'll do it."

With a shudder Tony went limp, his body shaking frantically at the pressure on his bones but holding the pose despite it.

Steve propped Tonys hips higher, spreading his knees so he was slightly off balance. An insistent hand on his back forced the other mans spine into a deep curve and Steve gently guided Tonys hands next to his shoulders and put his face into the carpet.

He stood, examining the pose.

Steve frown at the picture Tony made and his sense of unease was only exacerbated by the pitiful sight his teammate and Omega made.

The bruises Steve had made on his body were stark against his skin and though he knew the submission pose was a common thing for an Omega, Steve had never truly seen it in practice outside of diagrams in school and textbooks. In those pictures it had always looked appealing and reasonable; the pose was about making the Omegas vulnerable to their Alphas. It was also highly sexualized in literature but to Steve it didn't look at all arousing, it looked degrading. That wasn't helped by the trembling unsteadiness of the Omegas body, Tony was barely able to keep himself upright and he was panting, harsh and frightened gasps. Even worse was the scent of a distressed Omega. Steve wanted nothing more than to put him at ease but that would defeat the entire purpose of this.

He stood back and waited. Eventually Tony seemed to calm and though his body was clearly straining he did seem to be responding to the pose.

"Keep the pose, Tony," he warned and moved behind the other man.

He couldn't help but blush at the sight of Tony from the back, his hole prominently displayed and his ... privates dangling between his spread thighs.

His flagging erection suddenly began showing an interest. Tony drew in a sharp breath as the scent of arousal flooded the room.

Steve grabbed his erection and began to pump it slowly, wishing he had something to use as a lubricant. Dry handing it wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but the sight of Tony displayed in submission before him was enough to make sure he wouldn't last long. Steve moved closer until he was nearly straddling the other man and began to work himself furiously, the sight of the long expanse of sparely muscled back beneath him, the fragile neck and the mop of thick dark hair enough to send him over the edge. He came with a sigh, aiming at Tony's back.

When the first spurt hit him, Tony sobbed but didn't dare move as Steve covered his back in ejaculate.

It didn't last long and Steve soon released his overly sensitive member, dropping to his knees.

The fluid was slowly sliding down Tony's ribcage, pearly drops moving sluggishly down his heaving sides and down his spine to his hairline. Steve watched, both sickened and fascinated as his own cum slid into Tony's hair. He place his palm on Tony's back and began rubbing the cooling fluid into the other man's skin, scent marking him.

Tony shuddered beneath him but otherwise made no protest.

It was time for the last part. Ever so slowly Steve eased himself on top of Tony, pressing his chest to the curved back. The sensation of drying cum was off-putting but he ignored it in favor of resting a firm hand on the back of Tonys neck when it seemed like he was becoming agitated.

He didn't have to worry too much, biology had taken over and Tony, though still trembling, was as pliant and submissive as Steve had ever seen him and he felt a deep sense of satisfaction. This was Tonys proper place and if his mind didn't understand that at least his body and his instincts did. He could barely scent the Omega now, the other mans scent overpowered by his own.

Steve rested his forehead in Tonys hair, breathing deep. He smelled of fear and expensive hair care products. He supposed fear was a natural response to the unknown. He doubted Tony had ever submitted so fully before, it must be shocking to him but Steve knew eventually he would come to find comfort and stability in his submission.

He just needed to do this one last thing.

Steve placed a gently kiss on the juncture between Tony's left shoulder and his neck then opened his mouth wide and bit down.

Tony began screaming, bucking wildly under Steve who was prepared and kept Tony firmly in place. Blood filled his mouth and it was a struggle to breathe as Tony's escape attempts and the blood in his mouth hindered his ability to draw in air.

He wouldn't back down, if he did all this work would be wasted so he let Tony sob and collapse under him and he waited. Waited until Tony's submission was complete, until he stopped fighting. It seemed to take forever. Tony refused to give in and allow Steve control but a little increase in pressure from his jaw eventually got the point across.

Tony quieted and went limp, no longer even shivering now, just boneless.

Steve slowly pried his teeth from Tonys flesh and sat back on the other mans thighs, careful not to crush him.

He swiped the back of his hand over his mouth, grimacing at the amount of blood.

That had been unpleasant to say the least. None of the textbooks had mentioned this, the stench of fear in the air and the bitter hollow feeling. They had all glorified the process of forced submission, making it seem like something organic and even beautiful. Steve found it anything but. His jaw ached and he felt dirty.

His job wasn't even over yet, just the hard part.

Steve got up with a pat on Tonys slowly moving ribcage and went into the bathroom, drawing a bath. It was all part of the process. Now that the unpleasant part was over he needed to clean and reassure his Omega. All the texts said the Omega would be frightened and vulnerable; this was the time an Alpha was meant to cement their place in the Omegas mind as a protector and provider.

Steve felt his spirits rising as steam filled the room. When the bath was drawn he went back to where Tony was still laying on the floor.

"Tony," he said softly, kneeling down next to the Omega, "I'm going to bathe you now. It's over, you did great."

Gently he began lifting the Omega but when Tonys face was revealed he nearly dropped him from shock.

God.

His face was a mess.

Blood and bruises and tears marred the face that was only moments before flushed and grinning. The cheek Steve had struck was already beginning to turn purple, swollen and angry looking and the blood that had dripped from his neck,  down his jaw gave him the look of an abused Omega.

Worst of all was the look in his eyes. Normally dancing with laughter or sharp with a million calculations running past them, Tonys eyes were dumb with fear, staring at Steve in what he could only call terror.

"Oh Tony, it's ok, don't be scared," he murmured, collecting the smaller man in a hug, gently rocking him back and forth as he remembered his mother doing so long ago. "You did so well, I'm proud of you. You'll see how much better things are going to be after this."

Tony was crying softly still when Steve picked him up and brought him to the bathroom.

The water had cooled but even still Tony jumped when Steve placed him in the tub. Otherwise he was the picture of submission, head bowed and body drawn in to make him seem smaller than he was. It was how Steve always remembered the Omegas from his time, small and unassuming. He remembered how they made him feel strong, even when he wasn't. How he wanted nothing more than to protect them.

He felt the same for Tony now.

Normally independent and larger than life Tony now seemed ... weak.

Steve's mouth was pressed into a thin line. It was proper, he reminded himself. Tony was an Omega and Omegas were weak. They needed the protection given by Alphas.

As he washed Tony's unresisting body he felt his satisfaction and conviction slowly bleeding out of him as he took in the open wound on Tony's neck and the multitude of bruises scattered across his body.

It was hard to think of this subdued creature as being the man who had been riding a Thunder God into mock battle less than an hour before.

"Tony. Are you alright? Do you need me to do anything?" Tony only seemed to shrink further into himself.  "Well, if you need anything, anything at all, you just have to ask. Ok?"

He gently rubbed a soft cloth over Tonys skin. The water became clouded with blood and other fluids.

When Tony was clean he drained the water and ran the faucet, using his hands to pour water over the other man's body and wash away the last of the grime, then he wrapped Tony up in a big fluffy towel and gently coaxed him to stand. Tony did so with some help, shuffling unsteadily to the bed where he hesitated only a moment before letting Steve guide him under the covers.

"Tony. Can you look at me?"

The hesitation in the other man was obvious and he ended up shaking his head and curling up into a ball.

Steve sighed. "Tony, look at me," he commanded. Tony looked at him, his eyes weary. "Speak to me. Tell me what you're thinking. It's important."

"I'm tired."

"Do you understand what just happened here?"

A brief hesitation. "No," he whispered.

Steve was a little confused at that. How could he not know? "Well, I'll explain it in the morning. For now just get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up."

 

*

 

The morning was quick in coming and Steve might have slept in if it wasn't for the knock on the door.

He would have ignored it but it could be important so he roused himself, smiling gently at the peacefully sleeping Omega in his bed. He padded over to the door and opened it to find Bruce standing on the other side with a look of concern on his face.

"Bruce," he greeted. "Good morning. What can I do for you?"

Bruce looked as though he was steeling himself for something and Steve was immediately wary of possible danger, ready to don his suit at a moment's notice if need be. "Have you seen Tony?"

He relaxed. "Oh, right, he's with me. Not to worry."

Bruce didn't look reassured. "Can I see him?"

"Well he's sleeping right now so I don't think that would be a good idea. It was a difficult night," he hinted subtly.

If anything Bruce looked even more worried. "Everyone was just remembering how you dragged him off last night. You seemed a little out of sorts. We just wanted to make sure everything was ok with you two."

Steve nodded. It was good that they were worried. The rest of the team would be an excellent support system for Tony. "Everything's great. It was a bit difficult at first but I think Tony knows he's been behaving inappropriately and is ready to change."

His assurances didn't seem to go over well with Bruce who was beginning to take on a panicked look. "What are you talking about, Steve?"

"His behaviour. I swear everyone around here acts like Tonys an Alpha sometimes. It wasn't like that in my day but I guess he's the exception to the rule."

"Steve, you're not making sense," Bruce said slowly. "What do you mean about Tonys behaviour?"

Steves brow furrowed and the uneasy feeling from last night began to return. "You know what I mean. Tony's an Omega."

Bruce seemed to expect him to elaborate and when he didn't he replied, "So?"

"So he's been acting in a way that's highly inappropriate. Arguing with us, ordering us around, rolling on the floor with you guys last night with no care for how he was presenting himself. It wasn't natural or decent. And I don't approve of how you all encouraged him. I know times may have changed but in my day Omegas didn't act like that."

"Jesus. That's - I mean - I think there's been some sort of huge misunderstanding. Step aside, I need to see Tony."

Bruce didn't wait for Steve to answer and pushed past him, immediately moving towards the lump on the bed that was Tony. Steve knew immediately from Bruce's reaction to seeing Tony that he had messed up. Badly.

"Tony." Bruce took the other man by the shoulder and shook him gently. Tony grumbled softly and tried to turn over. "Come on, wake up."

Steve stood back and watched in growing trepidation as Tony woke. He couldn't see Tonys face under all the covers but Bruce's expression of rage and the telltale green flush of his skin was enough to make him take a step back.

Bruce knelt down and spoke softly to Tony. Steve could barely make out Bruce asking Tony what had happened and Tony's subdued reply when he said he didn't want to talk about it. The scientist didn't push the matter and simply asked if Tony wanted to leave now.

Tony didn't reply but it seemed he had given an affirmative response as Bruce pulled away the covers, eyes flashing a deep green and taking a deep breath to calm himself when he saw Tony's nude body. Steve was sweating now. He wanted to suggest that Bruce take a moment and leave the room before what he referred to as 'the Other Guy' made an appearance. Though the Hulk seemed to not hate Tony the same way he hated everything else, Steve wasn't confident that a Hulk fuelled by Bruce's rage wouldn't hurt the inventor accidentally.

He didn't dare speak. He knew with absolute certainty if he spoke now Bruce's careful control wouldn't be enough to stop the Hulk from taking over.

So he stayed quiet and tried to make himself as unobtrusive as possible.

When Tony stood Steve understood Bruce's reaction.

He hadn't realized, he had done it wrong. No wonder Bruce was angry. He had forgotten his own strength in the heat of the moment, forgotten that he wasn't a normal man with a normal man's strength and that Tony was so very human.

He felt the urge to vomit. He hadn't intended to leave half Tonys face almost swollen beyond recognition and his body marked with deep purple bruises. He hadn't meant to hurt him so badly. No, he hadn't meant to hurt him at all.

What it must look like to Bruce, to see the bruises so dark on Tonys narrow hips and to find his friend in bed with Steve, bare as the day he was born.

It wasn't what it looked like.

He was only trying to help.

He just wanted Tony to act like a proper Omega.

Every placation he could make sounded pathetic even in his own mind.

He should never have taken it upon himself to discipline Stark without the others permission. Surely if he had consulted the others they would have realized, as he hadn't, that forcefully submitting an Omega was a delicate task better suited to perhaps Clint or Natasha.

Bruce covered Tony in the discarded bath towel from last night and ushered him past Steve with a glare. Tonys eyes stayed firmly on the ground and when they passed by Steve, Tony noticeably leaned into Bruce. Steve followed silently behind the two when they passed him.

All was quiet aside from the shuffling of feet on granite floors when Clint rounded the corner looking more than a little hungover.

He raised a hand in greeting only to pause, mouth in mid-formation of a word only to blurt out, "Holy shit, what happened to your face?"

Tony and Bruce shared a look and it was Tony who spoke, his voice soft but steady. "Get everyone to the Clubhouse, we need to have a meeting."

 

*

 

The Clubhouse was not actually a clubhouse, it was more of a den. The name had come about when it had been revealed to Steve that none of the other members of the Avengers had ever built their own clubhouse.

When questioned about this both Natasha and Clint simply shrugged and wouldn't say anything more. Bruce mumbled something about being too busy studying. Tony was too busy tinkering with machines to fool around with something stupid like a clubhouse. Thor merely frowned and said he would have 'had it not been for Loki's treachery'. Everyone assumed it was best not to touch that with a 10 foot pole and so Steve had declared they had all failed at childhood and demanded they make a clubhouse.

That night all the bedrooms were ransacked of every available sheet and blanket and the den was transformed into a blanket fortress.

It was strange to think that it was that moments, more than any of his heroic deeds or his fame, that made him feel like he was doing good in the world.

Watching a group of grown adults playing with flashlights underneath hastily propped up blankets while Tony tried to evict Natasha (no girls allowed!) was both sad and uplifting. The Avengers, for all that the world thought of them as heroes or monsters, were really nothing more than lost children.

Steve often liked to think of himself as being a sort of father-like figure. He knew he was being ridiculous but some days it felt like he was the only voice of reason among the sea of insanity that was his team.

Now was different.

Now he was the child in need of a lesson, or so it seemed.

The team had been informed that urgent business needed to be attended to and they were all assembled in the Clubhouse.

Tony had changed into some decent clothing and was looking as outwardly disdainful and cocky as he had been on the day they first met, in a suit that likely cost more than most people made in a month with a glass of scotch held loosely in his hand. Steve knew him well enough now to know it was a mask and he hated that he was the cause of it.

The mask was well and good but it did little to hide the swollen face and the bruises dotting his exposed flesh. The bite was hidden behind a large bandage. When the others one by one came into the Clubhouse their reactions ranged from shock to dangerous stillness but to their credit they all sat and waited without giving into their curiosity.

When they were all assembled Bruce stood up and looked at Steve pointedly.

"So from what I understand there has been a bit of an ... incident."

Tony snorted into his glass.

The rest of the Avengers looked between Steve and Tony.

"This isn't a trial ... yet," Bruce assured him.  "I want to get your side of this before we grab the pitchforks."

"You did this Cap?" Natasha asked.

Steve nodded.

"For what purpose?" Thor asked, looking deeply distressed. "Tony Stark is your brother-in-arms, what need could you have to strike at him so?"

Steve swallowed, feeling all the reasoning that had seemed so plain to him last night crumble to ash under the scrutiny of his teammates stares. "It was wrong what I did. I underestimated my strength. I should never have hit you like that," he said, looking at Tony who was looking everywhere but him.

Tony didn't respond so Bruce stepped up again. "We know what you did. I think what we all want to know is why. All any of us knew was last night you dragged Tony off and today he shows up looking like he lost a fight with a 2x4."

"It - it was his behaviour. Drinking and partying and rolling around with you all on the floor and barking orders."

The others looked at him like he had lost his mind. He didn't understand why they weren't getting it.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything," Bruce said. "We all do that so why single out Tony?"

"Because he's an Omega," Steve shouted in exasperation.

The reactions were not what he was expecting. Instead of understanding or a mild rebuke at his loss of control while disciplining an Omega he got nothing sort of horrified astonishment. They were all staring at him as though he had just sprouted three heads.

Tony had stiffened and was glaring into his drink, lips pressed into a thin line. He didn't look angry though. He looked hurt.

"Goddamn, Cap, it's not the  50s," Clint said with a disbelieving shake of his head.

Bruce rubbed his brow in a way that suggested he was seconds away from a migraine . "Or the 40s. I thought you'd been brought up to date on all the cultural shifts that had taken place since your time."

Steve looked around, realizing with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that not only had he hurt Tony but had apparently also made a serious mistake in assuming that Omegas were treated as they were in his time. He could kick himself.

"There wasn't a whole lot of time after I was unfrozen. I was with you guys fighting Loki and then I guess everybody just kind of forgot about it. I didn't think to ask. It seemed I was fitting in ok so I just assumed things hadn't changed as much as I had first thought," he explained, feeling his pathetic excuses reflecting back his own ignorance at him.

"Seriously?" said Clint. "That's why Stark's face looks like it's been shot by beanbag gun? Because SHIELD was too lazy to give you a powerpoint presentation and you were too stupid to ask for some pamphlets? Didn't it occur to you at any time between point A and point 'beat Stark's face in with a rubber mallet' to ask us about, I don't know,  anything? Didn't it seem strange to you that we're ok with Stark acting however he wants?"

"Well yeah but-"

"But you thought we were all too whipped to say or do anything about it," Natasha suggested.

He wouldn't have put it that way. In fact, when she put it that way it made the rest of them sound weak and made Steve seem like he had a superiority complex of some kind. "I wouldn't put it that way. It's just, he's Tony Stark. He can do and say whatever he wants and we're all living under his roof so I just assumed you were all ... humouring him. Being talked down to and ordered around by an Omega ... it seemed wrong no matter who the Omega was. That's not how I was raised."

Tony was the first to speak after an extended pause where the rest of the team seemed stuck on how next to approach Steve.

"What was it you did to me? You didn't just take me out back and rough me up. It seemed-," he waved his scotch glass in a vague circle searching for the right word, "ritualized, I guess."

The other looked at Steve with expressions ranging from curiosity to contempt.

Steve found his hands balling tight into his pants and was sure the others could smell the sweat from his palms. "Forced submission. It's, I mean, it was a standard calming technique for disobedient Omegas. They taught it to us in school. If an Omega were to act the way Tony does, in my day he would have been seen as unstable. It was always recommended that a trusted Alpha should  step in and correct the Omega. If that didn't work then forced submission techniques were to be applied. Normally that would work. If not the Omegas were institutionalized or put into corrective schools." He could see the way they were looking at him and he felt a desperate urge to justify himself. "It's not as bad as it sounds. It was medically recommended. I read it in the textbooks myself. They always said an Omega would be happier after, more well adjusted and able to move better in society. I just wanted to do the right thing."

"That's the good 'ole days for you," Clint quipped humourlessly. "I don't know whether to beat the crap out of you or feel bad for you, man."

"Is that truly how you mortals treat your Omega brethren? I had thought better of your people than that. I will admit Asgard is not always the bastion of freedom we often proclaim we are, but attacking an Omega in such a way would warrant a good flogging if not banishment." He paused thoughtfully. "Though perhaps such techniques may have saved my brother, though Loki would hardly stand for such treatment. Ha! What I wouldn't pay to see the poor man who would dare try to tame my brother in such a way. Indeed he would be a warrior of some mettle, worthy of a song or two, perhaps. Ah, but I have let my mind wander. Captain, though I would dearly love to see you apply your techniques to my brother I find myself siding with Stark in this matter. He was undeserving of such treatment and I would see the matter resolved. Perhaps in combat," he suggested, looking around it see if anyone was in favor of his idea.

Clint looked interested, nobody else did.

"Uh, first off, thanks for the mental image. Going to sleep real well tonight picturing Capcicle riding Loki like a rodeo bronco," Tony shook his head at the thought. "Second. Here on Planet Sanity we like to solve our problems by not cleaving someone's head in with an axe."

"It was but a suggestion my friend. Your Midgardian ways are still foreign to me."

"Apology accepted. Now, Cap." Steve sat up straighter under Tony's gaze. "I was getting damn ready to put on my suit and teach you a lesson or two about submission myself but I think I'll hold off. Honestly, I don't even know what to say to you. This isn't the 40s and that shit doesn't fly anymore. I know how it used to be in your time and, yeah, it's probably on all of us that we didn't help you out in modernizing but you're a damn idiot for pulling that last night. You don't get to be judge, jury and executioner for the team. You don't get to make solo calls and you sure as hell don't get to take it upon yourself to 'discipline' teammates. That's not how the Avengers roll. You got it?"

Steve nodded, too mortified to speak.

"Good. So I'm ready to forgive you but I'll give you one and only one warning." He leaned closer to Steve and looked him in the eye with a hard expression. "If you ever try to pull that shit with me again I will use every means at my disposal to make you suffer. So play nice."

After that, strangely, the air seemed to clear. Everyone was still noticeably awkward afterwards and Steve wanted nothing more than to  bury his head in shame but the open hostility had been replaced with a less volatile mix of exasperation (for Steve) and pity (for Tony).

When they all met for lunch later that afternoon Steve was seated by himself. It wasn't a conscious effort by everyone to exclude him but he found they were distant nonetheless, holding conversations among themselves and not engaging him as they normally would. He knew better than to complain. Though by the standards of his time he had done what most would consider to be correct and deep down it stung that he was being punished for doing what he only thought was right.

Hunching deeper into his cereal bowl, Steve tried not to let it show on his face how lonely and lost he felt.

"Stop pouting and look at this."

Steve looked up from his cereal. "Tony?"

"Who else?" He all but slammed a laptop down in front of Steve and gestured towards it. "Got you some reading material. Figured you wouldn't know where to start so I took the liberty of bookmarking some relevant sites for you to browse."

Steve looked at the laptop. It definitely had a screen of some kind (smaller than the TV) and a sort of modern typewriter attached. Yes. It was indeed a smallish television with a typewriter attached and that was all Steve needed to know. Technology of the future was evil and he wanted nothing to do with it.

"You look confused. Not to worry. I'll help you out."

Tony shoved a seat next to Steve and sat down, going to work on the laptop.

During the course of an hour, in which everyone eventually filtered out of the kitchen to live their own lives, Tony spent his time painstakingly teaching Steve how to use a laptop and educating him on Alpha/Omega relations reformation.

He was astonished to learn the change had begun a mere seven months after his crash with a protest in Washington.  Over 10 000 shockingly well organized Omegas marched in peaceful protest through the streets of Washington to demand their right to vote. Steve read through the articles with nothing less than utter amazement. A protest of the magnitude must have been brewing for years and yet, he had heard nothing about it.

The reason for that came several pages later. Tony read the article in a calm, smooth voice but Steve could feel his pride and Steve couldn't begrudge him that.

A silent ripple had gone through society during the war. With so many Alphas overseas the Omegas had begun what the Alphas of his day called 'The Little War'. A network of communication between Omegas from state to state, planning and organizing. It was remarked in several articles how The Little War was defined by two things; a complete lack of violence and bloodshed and the almost instantaneous capitulation of lawmakers.

The ease of change was a primary reason for the speed in which Omegas gained independence and respect; Omegas of this age couldn't remember a time in which they were anything but equal citizens and it was all due to the lack of any real conflict between the two sides in his time.

"My father was a supporter."

"Howard? I wouldn't have known."

Tony nodded thoughtfully. "He was a smart man. When I presented as an Omega he was proud. As proud as he ever let himself be. Back then, it was better than it was in your day, much better, but I was still worried he would think less of me. He didn't and I went on to be the world's most powerful Omega after he died."

"I'm sorry," he said. The apology felt deeply inadequate all things considered.

"I know."

Steve stared unseeingly at the words on the screen. "I feel like I should say more."

"You don't need to justify yourself to me," Tony said, closing the laptop. "You're a good guy cap."

"A good guy wouldn't do that to someone's face," he said with a gesture at Tony's swollen cheek.

The other man grinned and lightly pressed against the bruised side of his face with a wince. "Yeah, I didn't think you had it in you, Capcicle. That was a dick move, I was so drunk. Still am a bit. You meant well, in your own seriously messed up way."

Steve frowned. "They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Tony gave an amused huff. "I'm not the religious type but that pretty much sums up the situation."

"What can I do to make this right?"

Tony leaned back, sipping at his scotch and looking up at the ceiling in deep thought. "I don't know. A hundred pushups? Being my slave for a month? Climbing to the top of the biggest, tallest mountain to pluck me a magic rose? Come on, Cap, I've already forgiven you. Don't make it weird."

Steve looked at the inventor. He really looked at him, past the expensive suit and the stylish goatee, past the devil may care attitude and alcohol problem and even past his self imposed stereotype of the cocky, genius, playboy. "You're a good man. Better than me."

"Nobody's better than you, Cap," Tony said with rare sincerity. "You're the ultimate boy scout. Even when you're fucking up you're doing it for all the right reasons."

"I try, I always try. You, though ... you don't try, you do. I don't think there's a truly deceitful bone in your body."

Tonys laugh boomed through the room. Steve watched in bemusement as Tony nearly shook himself off his seat with the force of his laughter. "Oh my god. That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me. Total bullshit but still nice." He wiped away a stray tear of mirth and composed himself, though a faint smile still lingered on his lips. "I'm getting tired of this. Too many emotions. Come on, you want to apologize you can buy me a drink."

"Don't you think it's a bit early?"

"Never too early to get the party started. Get up. I won't take no for an answer."

Steve stood with an air of a man most unwilling but for the first time since morning he felt the tightness in his chest ease and relief overtake him as he followed the overly perky Omega to what was, no doubt, a future hangover.

 

*

 

The next morning Bruce wandered into the Clubhouse.

Paused.

Blinked.

Felt a great deal of confusion.

Steve, Captain America himself, was sloppy drunk passed out surrounded by empty beer and liquor bottles, bare ass naked and wrapped around a badly stained flag.

Tony lay a few feet from him, fully suited up, face down on the floor.

Strangely nothing was damaged and he had heard nothing of Captain America and Iron Man rampaging around the city in a drunken rage. They must have kept their drunken antics low key. To be honest he didn't even know Steve could get drunk so that was something new.

No apparent broken bones or lacerations, though blood alcohol was probably too high. All in all he wasn't overly concerned.

So he did the only reasonable thing a man in this situation could do.

It took a long time to get the right angle and lighting for maximum effect but it was worth it. The picture was both a masterpiece and a hot mess. He wasn't so petty to use it as blackmail but it was always nice to have an embarrassing picture on hand just in case.

Tony might forgive easily enough but Bruce couldn't and wouldn't.

If Steve ever hurt his teammate again it wouldn't just be Bruce's anger he would have to contend with.

A momentary flash of green bolted across the scientist's eyes, unseen.

For once he and the Big Guy were in agreement.

**Author's Note:**

> While proof reading this fic I realized it could be taken as an allegory for women's rights or the civil rights moment. This was unintentional, if you wish to read it as such that's cool but just know I wasn't setting out to make a social commentary when I wrote this. Having said that I hope you enjoyed yourself and thank you for reading. :)


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